Healthcare Promotion Regulation

A New Era for Promotion in Healthcare Services Has Begun

The 'Regulation on Promotion and Information Activities in Healthcare Services', which provides a comprehensive framework for promotional and informational activities in the healthcare services sector, has been published in the Official Gazette and entered into force. This significant regulation brings a new breath to promotional practices in the healthcare sector by focusing on transparency, ethical principles, and patient-centric communication for healthcare professionals, institutions, and all stakeholders in the industry. The regulation was prepared with the aim of protecting public health, preventing misleading information, and ensuring patients' access to accurate, scientifically-backed information.

Scope and Purpose of the Regulation: A Transparent and Ethical Approach

The new Regulation addresses a broad scope, covering the promotional and informational processes of all real and legal persons providing healthcare services across Turkey. This includes all healthcare institutions and professionals, from doctor's offices to large hospitals, and from dental clinics to physical therapy centers. The primary goal of the regulation is to eliminate information pollution and unfair competition in the healthcare sector, enabling patients to make informed choices and increasing trust in healthcare services. Particularly, preventing uncontrolled promotional activities that have increased with the widespread use of the internet and social media, blocking unscientific or exaggerated claims, and ensuring patient safety and privacy are among the main objectives of the regulation.

Innovations and Restrictions Introduced for Promotional Activities

The Regulation introduces significant restrictions and guidelines regarding the content and presentation of promotional materials. Henceforth, the use of claims that are far from scientific reality, unproven, or misleading will be strictly prohibited. Presenting a treatment method or healthcare service as the 'sole and definitive solution' and making comparisons that lead to unfair competition with other services are forbidden. Patient privacy and the protection of personal data will form the foundation of all promotional activities. The unauthorized use of patient information such as photographs, videos, or testimonials is strictly prevented. Promotions made through digital platforms, social media, and websites also fall under the strict scrutiny of this regulation. Healthcare institutions and professionals will now only be able to highlight the objective, scientific qualities of the services they provide and their areas of expertise, and will be required to adopt an informative communication style free from commercial concerns. This aims to strengthen the perception that healthcare services are a societal benefit rather than a commercial commodity.

Impacts and Expectations for the Sector

This new regulation brings about a significant change that will require institutions and professionals operating in the healthcare sector to re-evaluate their marketing and communication strategies. While compliance processes, additional training, and strengthened audit mechanisms are expected, transparency and accountability in the sector will increase. Although adaptation challenges may arise in the short term, in the long run, it will enhance reliability and reputation in the sector, prevent unfair competition, and enable patients to receive more informed services. From a consumer perspective, it will create opportunities to access health-related information from more transparent, reliable, and scientific sources, significantly contributing to increased health literacy. The regulation will also strengthen Turkey's image in areas such as international health tourism, encouraging compliance with international ethical and quality standards. With this regulation, the aim is to establish a patient-centric communication approach where quality and ethical values are prioritized in the provision of healthcare services.

Highlights

• A new regulation for promotion and information activities in healthcare services has been published in the Official Gazette.
• The regulation addresses a broad scope, covering all healthcare providers and professionals.
• The main objective is to protect public health, prevent misleading information, and strengthen ethical rules.
• Scientific accuracy, objectivity, and patient privacy will be prioritized in promotional materials.
• All promotional channels, including digital platforms and social media, are being placed under strict scrutiny.